Chapter 4

He glanced at it, his face suddenly turning deathly pale.

Mary leaned her head over. Their faces were inappropriately close.

Her gaze shifted to my expressionless face, her tone taking on a playful quality:

"Matthias, just because Marcus didn't come home last night?"

"I haven't even blamed you yet. I accidentally fell, and you didn't even care about me."

"And here I bought you breakfast early this morning."

Details I'd never noticed before, I now noticed completely.

When did this ice cream cake from the east side of the city become my favorite?

It was because Mary loved it, and he'd queue to buy it every time.

Over time, I became the excuse, and it became my preference.

I looked at Mary calmly, my tone flat:

"Wasn't it you who deliberately faked a fall to trick him over and keep him at your place?"

"I heard your soft laugh."

"I saw the marks on both your necks."

Mary instinctively pulled up her collar.

Marcus strode toward me, his Adam's apple bobbing:

"No, Matthias, you've misunderstood."

"Mary fainted from the fall yesterday. I took care of her all night, that's why I didn't come home."

"I promise it won't happen again."

On the first day of living with Marcus, I made an agreement with him that he absolutely could not stay out all night.

Past affection and former happiness made me just want to part ways amicably with them.

Seeing their all-too-familiar faces, surging emotions flooded my brain. When I opened my mouth, I couldn't control my choking voice.

"Break up." I couldn't say any other words.

Mary pushed Marcus hard, ordering:

"Quickly kneel and apologize to Matthias."

She knelt down first with a thud:

"No matter what it is, it's not your fault anyway. I'll apologize to you first, okay?"

But Marcus suddenly yanked Mary up, his eyes full of heartache.

Looking at me, his eyes held no guilt, only disappointment: "Matthias, apologize to Mary!"

"We've both been indulging your emotions all along. We get tired too. Why can't you be more mature?"

"Why can't you trust us the way we trust you?"

It felt like something completely broke inside my heart.

At this moment, only numbness remained.

"You both betrayed me. Are you going to keep pretending?"

"If you don't leave, I'll call the police."

Mary pulled Marcus away.

She loudly said near Marcus's ear: "Let her process her emotions."

"Who knows who made her angry. She's taking it out on us."

"Maybe she watched some stupid soap opera again and identified with the female lead."

I thought I'd been clear enough.

Just as the slanderer knows best how wronged you are, the betrayer also knows best what they've done.

But after I blew out my birthday candles and turned on the lights.

The two of them stood side by side in the light, smiling.

Mary acted as if nothing had happened, holding a huge internally carved crystal ornament in her arms.

"Surprise!" She shoved it into my arms, smiling brightly: "I specially picked this for you. Do you like it?"

Marcus knelt on one knee, holding up the diamond ring toward me, his eyes full of tenderness:

"Matthias, marry me!"

The diamond ring sparkled, drawing cheers.

Someone shouted: "Accept it!"